Author: chicagoinquirer

by Christine Fernando CHICAGO — Illinois leaders went to court Monday to stop President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops to Chicago, escalating a clash between Democratic-led states and the Republican administration during an aggressive immigration enforcement operation in the nation’s third-largest city. The legal challenge came hours after a judge blocked the Guard’s deployment in Portland, Oregon. The lawsuit in Chicago also raised the stakes after a violent weekend: Authorities said a woman was shot by a federal agent when Border Patrol vehicles were boxed in and struck by other vehicles. The city’s police superintendent rejected suggestions that…

by Gregory Gondwe BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — Peter Mutharika was sworn in as Malawi’s presidentSaturday after a political comeback at the age of 85 to win last month’s election. Thousands gathered at Kamuzu Stadium in the commercial capital, Blantyre, for Mutharika’s inauguration. He previously served as president of the southern African nation from 2014 to 2020. He lost office in 2020, after a 2019 election he won was nullified by a court because of widespread irregularities and ordered to be rerun the following year. He won a Sept. 16 election with 56% of the vote compared with 33% for incumbent…

by Thomas Peipert President Donald Trump moved to deploy the National Guard in another city Saturday by authorizing 300 troops to protect federal officers and assets in Chicago, where the government said Border Patrol agents shot and injured a woman while firing at someone who tried to run them over. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson confirmed that the president authorized using the Illinois National Guard members, citing what she called “ongoing violent riots and lawlessness” that local leaders have not quelled. “President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities,” Jackson said. Democratic Gov. JB…

by Jay Cohen CHICAGO  — Pete Crow-Armstrong hit an RBI single off a shaky Yu Darvish, and the Chicago Cubs shut down Fernando Tatis Jr. and the San Diego Padres for a clinching 3-1 victory in Game 3 of their NL Wild Card Series on Thursday. Backed by a raucous crowd of 40,895 at Wrigley Field, Chicago used its stellar defense to advance in the postseason for the first time since 2017. Michael Busch hit a solo homer, and Jameson Taillon pitched four shutout innings before manager Craig Counsell used five relievers to close it out. After Brad Keller faltered…

by Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister NEW YORK  — On the eve of his sentencing, Sean “Diddy” Combs wrote a federal judge Thursday proclaiming himself to be a new man after realizing that he was “broken to my core.” Combs, 55, told Judge Arun Subramanian that with his mind clear of drugs and alcohol after a year in jail, he can see how rotten he had become before his September 2024 arrest in a case that led to his conviction on two prostitution-related counts. His sentencing hearing is set to begin Friday morning. “Over the past year there have…

by Mathew Perrone WASHINGTON — Federal officials have approved another generic version of the abortion pill mifepristone, a regulatory formality that quickly triggered pushback from anti-abortion groups and politicians aligned with the Trump administration. Drugmaker Evita Solutions announced on its website that the Food and Drug Administration signed off on its low-cost form of the pill, which is approved to end pregnancies through 10 weeks. Students for Life Action, which opposes abortion, in a statement Thursday called the approval “a stain on the Trump presidency and another sign that the deep state at the FDA must go.” Republican Sen. Josh…

by Andrew Seligman LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears headed into their bye breathing easier, with back-to-back wins and a .500 record. They’ll take that after a rough start to the season. “I think the first four games builds confidence, and I understand the first two were losses,” Williams said. “I think it builds a lot of momentum and confidence. But … we’ve got to go look at everything and be truthful for ourselves.” The Bears (2-2) have room to improve. But they’re in a far better place than they were two weeks ago after squeezing…

by Sam Metz  RABAT, Morocco  — Anti-government demonstrations gripped Morocco for a fourth straight night as youth filled the streets of cities throughout the country and destruction and violence broke out in several places, according to human rights groups and local media. With billions in investment flowing toward preparations for the 2030 World Cup,promises to fix Morocco’s strained social services haven’t quelled anger from internet-savvy youth who launched some of the country’s biggest street protests in years. Young Moroccans took to the streets on Tuesday clashing with security forces and decrying the dire state of many schools and hospitals. After…

by Anne D’innocenzio and Jonel Aleccia NEW YORK  — Walmart said Wednesday that it plans to remove synthetic food dyes and 30 other ingredients, including some preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes, from its store brands sold in the United States by January 2027. The move announced by the the nation’s largest retailer amounts to an acknowledgment that American consumers and the U.S. government under President Donald Trump are paying attention to what goes into packaged foods. Walmart said its goal would affect about 1,000 products, including salty snacks, baked goods, power drinks, salad dressings and frosting. Several of the…

by Steve Peoples NEW YORK — On this, at least, the Democrats agree: It’s time to fight. Whether far-left activists, Washington moderates or rural conservatives, Democratic leaders across the political spectrum are shrugging off the risks and embracing a government shutdown they say is needed to push back against President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress. For Democrats, the shutdown fight marks a line in the sand born from months of frustration with their inability to stop Trump’s norm-busting leadership. And they will continue to fight, regardless of the practical or political consequences, they say. “It’s a rare…